Thousands of people have some type of bird house or bird feeder in their yards. Bird feeders not only provide birds with a readily available food source during the colder months, but also provide an enjoyable pastime for bird watchers. What is often a relaxing and enjoyable pastime, however, can often become frustrating when a squirrel eats the food from the bird feeder. First, squirrels can eat many times more food than birds. The result is that the owner of the bird feeder must more frequently refill the bird food in order to attract birds and ensure that the birds have a sufficient amount of food. Second, this frequent replacement of bird food can become costly and inconvenient for the owner of the bird feeder. Third, a squirrel eating from a bird feeder will usually scare off the birds, thus defeating the purpose of having the feeder in the first place. Finally, a bird feeder is not normally meant to withstand the extra weight of a squirrel and may therefore become damaged or broken.
Attempts at keeping squirrels off of bird feeders have been deficient since squirrels are by nature extremely agile and cunning animals. Strategies have included altering the pole the bird feeder sits on so that it is slippery and thereby more difficult for squirrels to climb. Squirrels often are still able to overcome this obstacle, however, and reach the bird feeder.
Another strategy consists of altering the bird feeder itself. An example is a bird feeder which tilts if too much weight is placed on one side, thus causing the squirrel or other predator to fall off. While this type of feeder is sometimes successful in keeping squirrels off, it also prevents larger birds from feeding on it as well.
Some owners of bird feeders even resort to placing an additional feeder in their yards, hoping that the squirrels will eat from this feeder and leave the food in the bird feeder alone. Instead, the result is usually that the squirrel ends up getting an additional source of food.
Finally, by the time the owner of a new bird feeder realizes that a problem exists, it becomes costly and inconvenient to change the structure of the feeder in an attempt to solve the problem.
There is therefore a need in the art for an effective means of preventing squirrels and other predatory animals from eating the food from bird feeders which can be added to a new or existing feeding system.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is a provision of an improved squirrel baffler.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved squirrel baffler which is easy to install and convenient to use, even on existing structures.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved squirrel baffler which does not prevent birds from eating from the bird feeder.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved squirrel baffler which is economical to manufacture and durable.
These and other objectives will be apparent from the following description of the invention.